Review: AN EVENING WITH EDEN ESPINOSA Concert at Holmdel Theatre Company 11/13

When Eden Espinosa stepped onstage at Holmdel Theatre Company's Duncan Smith Theater, the audience knew they were in the presence of a Broadway legend. The sold-out concert titled "An Evening With Eden Espinosa" was part of another installment of the theatre's "Broadway at the Barn" series. The Broadway star from Wicked, RENT, and the National tour of Falsettos (among many other things) wore a black, long-sleeved dress and black ankle boots. This was the perfect outfit for a Saturday night concert.

Eden's setlist filled with Broadway hits, original songs, and audience shoutouts was accompanied by her first-time piano player, Rodney Bush. From the beginning, she was open and honest with the audience, which made them feel comfortable with her throughout the night. Eden was grateful to be performing live again, and it was her first intimate concert since the pandemic. She was shocked by how clearly she could see each person's face in front of her, which is very different from a Broadway stage.

The show opened with a musical theatre classic, "Being Alive" from Stephen Sondheim's Company. Eden sang this well-known tune to honor the return of live theater. She continued with a beautiful rendition of "I Miss The Mountains" from Next to Normal. Eden then told a story about her experience playing Trina in the 2019 National tour of Falsettos. She declined the offer at first, despite being asked by casting directors multiple times. Eden performed one of Trina's songs, "Holding to the Ground '' to celebrate her time in a musical she didn't initially connect to. Singing this song showed how thankful she was to be part of a touring cast who had become her family.

Eden reminisced about her time growing up in Southern California and having dreams of working at Disney. Her first character role was Pocahontas, so she treated the crowd to Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken's iconic song, "Colors of the Wind." The Disney and musical theater fans who were present enjoyed her heartfelt version of the song. Eden made sure to credit Judy Kuhn, who provided Pocahontas' singing voice in the film. The former Disneyland employee also hoped to lend her voice to an animated Disney character, so she auditioned for Tangled and Frozen. Eden finally found the perfect part in Cassandra for the Tangled television series. As a new animated character, Eden was given her own original song called "Waiting in the Wings," which she performed for the crowd.

The highlight of the concert was when Eden talked about her seven-year contract as Elphaba in Wicked. She was the first standby in the original cast, and played the role in touring and regional productions. Since the individual songs in the show are hard to sing, Eden created a "Wicked Medley." The audience got a small taste of her run as Elphaba while belting the songs, "I'm Not That Girl," "The Wizard and I," "No Good Deed," and "Defying Gravity" all combined into one. Those who were expecting to hear at least one Wicked song were not disappointed. Eden's outstanding vocals gave the medley great justice without the normal smoke, costumes, and props that were missing. Everyone really enjoyed this part of the concert and gave the Broadway star a standing ovation.

Eden promised to be unfiltered during her performance and dedicated a portion of the concert to audience requests. Her sense of humor allowed her to build a rapport with everyone and create a relaxed environment. There were two rules: she could veto some requests, and she may not know the words to every song. People shouted out all kinds of ideas, and Eden picked snippets of songs such as: "It Won't Be Long Now" from In The Heights, "Out Tonight" from RENT, and "Somewhere That's Green" from Little Shop of Horrors.

The audience was introduced to one of Eden's original songs called "Keep On," from her second album Revelation. She put her full, raw emotion into the ballad, and anyone listening could feel how passionate she is about writing and performing her own music. Eden segued into the song, "I Never Knew His Name" from the musical Brooklyn. She mentioned how she couldn't sing music from the show for a while, so it was nice to see her revisiting it again.

Eden sang a cover of "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart, encouraging the audience to sing along with her. The entire crowd knew the words, and this moment brought everyone in the room together. The show ended with one last song, "The Joke" by Brandi Carlile. The audience agreed that it was the best one of the night, and would love Eden to record a cover version on a future album. The overwhelming response of Eden's performance made everyone rise with loud cheers. When she left the stage, everyone had a feeling the show wasn't over yet. Eden returned for an encore with the song, "Look Around" by Cy Coleman.

Broadway fans who were familiar with Eden Espinosa's career were extremely satisfied with her concert at Holmdel Theatre Company. Those who didn't know Eden beforehand were able to witness her amazing talent and easygoing personality. Executive Director Colleen Cook had no regrets about adding Eden to the "Broadway at the Barn" lineup, especially after this concert. "It was a surreal pinch me moment watching Eden Espinosa belt Defying Gravity in our intimate space. You could feel the audience goosebumps in the air. One of a kind moments like that was why we developed this series." Whether the audience members recognized Eden's work or were seeing her live for the first time, they walked away with a newfound appreciation for her.

Eden Espinosa is most recognized for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway and in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Other credits include originating the title character in Brooklyn the Musical, Flora in Flora the Red Menace, and Maureen in the closing company of RENT on Broadway. Eden is fresh off of the Broadway National Touring production of Falsettos in which she played Trina. Eden has also originated the role of Sadie Thompson in the world premiere of Rain, at The Old Globe Theater. She portrayed Eva Peron in TPAC and Studio Tenn's production of Evita. In 2017 she toured Denmark and London playing Emma Borden in the rock musical Lizzie. She played Mary Flynn to rave reviews in Maria Friedman's production of Merrily We Roll Along at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. Eden was Daniela in Kennedy Center's In The Heights. Also portrayed Anita in West Side Story for the BBC PROMS at the Royal Albert Hall. Most recently she originated the role of Tamara De Lempicka in the world premiere of Lempicka at Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Rachel Chavkin. Her television appearances include shows such as "Law and Order", "Ugly Betty", and "Elementary." Voiceover credits include Cassandra in the Disney Channel's "Tangled the Series", "Robot Chicken", "MAD TV", "Elena of Avalor", and "Titan Maximum." Eden released her debut album, Look Around, in 2012. She released her sophomore album REVELATION in January 2019 which features all new original music. REVELATION made its way to #15 on the Pop iTunes Charts upon release. To keep up with Eden, you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @edenespinosa, or go to her website at https://www.edenespinosa.com/

Eden Espinosa's concert "An Evening With Eden Espinosa" was performed inside Holmdel Theatre Company's Duncan Smith Theater on Saturday, November 13. The "Broadway at the Barn" series will continue with Broadway star Betsy Wolfe's Holiday Concert on Friday, December 3. Tickets can be purchased by calling 732-946-0427 or visiting Holmdel Theatre Company's website at https://www.holmdeltheatrecompany.org/batb. The theatre is located at 36 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel, NJ. For more information on Holmdel Theatre Company, you can follow them on Twitter @RealHTC, Instagram @holmdeltheatrecompany, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/holmdeltheatrecompany/

Photo Credit: Rebecca Michelson

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